Earth’s vital signs: Millenium ecosystem assessment (2005)


Ethics of ecology: Ego- versus Ecocentric


Where are humans placed in a trophic system?


4 major categories of ecosystem services






  • Provisioning services


  • Regulating services


  • Cultural services


  • Supporting services

Provisioning services: Raw materials for development of society





















Forest Service economists estimated the minimum value of water from National Forest System lands to be $3.7 billion per year

Regulating services: Beneficial ecosystem processes


Case study: Pollination


Case study: Pollination


Cultural services: Non-material benefits (health & well-being)


Are we disconnected from nature?


Supporting services: Underlying natural processes